Do we have good Cycling Routes already?

There are many dimensions for judging a route's suitability for cycling, but I want to focus on a single dimension that sums up a number of factors: car-oriented vs. pedestrian-oriented. Bicycle-oriented falls between these two extremes as shown below.

This list progresses from car-oriented to pedestrian-oriented:

• Expressways and controlled-access highways - non-motorized traffic is prohibited and minimum speeds are enforced.
  
• Busy full-speed 4-lane - cycling permitted, but cycling here isn't pleasant. Dangerous for pedestrians.
  
• Busy Street - Cycling is fine if traffic is moving around 30MPH, experienced cyclists have no issues, pedestrians may venture into the street when it is quiet.
  
• Low-traffic, Neighborhood Streets - Cycling with kids is fine, pedestrians are commonly seen on the street.
  
• Multi-use Trails - Cars prohibited, cyclists and pedestrians share space, youngest pedestrians and cyclists still need to be careful.
  
• Sidewalks - Bicycles prohibited (typically), pedestrians need to be careful at intersections
  
• Shopping Malls - pedestrians only, no threats of collision with any vehicles.
  

I do admire the efficiency of putting a Mall next to an interstate highway. This encourages us however, to live either as a motorist or a pedestrian while squeezing out the middle.

What can be done to encourage more cyclists?

I sometimes hear would-be cyclists lament that car-restricted facilities "don't go anywhere". What I think this means is the cyclist is unwilling to consider sharing the road with traffic. Certainly experience helps us feel more comfortable with a given route, so perception does affect route suitability.

We could expand the car-free facilities so multi-use trails go places. This would be sweet, but this would effectively duplicate the existing network of streets and roads.

An alternative is to encourage cyclists to take advantage of the existing road system. In that case, we already have cycling routes. We just need practice taking advantage of this resource.

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 12.7
Number of Cyclists seen: 8
In-bound Route: Goofin' 9.6
Out-bound Route: Swung by Home Depot to run some errands
Weather: A little below freezing on the way in, no need for gloves on the way home but I did turn on my lights.

Partaking of the Pedestrian Privilege

 

Where multi-use paths cross neighborhood streets, I've found motorists generally expect pedestrians to come right on into the crosswalk. The runner in the photo hardly broke stride crossing in front of the approaching car. There was a stop sign on his side just like the one you can see facing the camera.

I call this the Pedestrian Privilege.

For most intersections, regular rules apply, but for "recreational facilities", motorists will allow strollers, dog walkers, school children, little old ladies, and even runners to pretend the pedestrian STOP signs aren't there.

I often observe that this privilege is also extended to cyclists. I treat the stop sign as if I were a vehicle. When traffic has arrived at the intersection before me, I stop, put my foot down and shake my head "No" if someone offers me the right of way (particularly if they are on a cell phone). Other cyclists will proceed quickly through the intersection once they see the motorist has hesitated much the same as the runner in the photo.

There seems like there could be an educational opportunity here, but I'm not sure if these intersections make a good classroom. On the other hand, what does make a good classroom?

I'm interested to hear how others approach these motorist/cyclist interactions and whether this provides a good opportunity to socialize certain safe and courteous behaviors.

The following may make a separate post, but it's another angle on the Pedestrian Privilege:

On Monday, another family joined ours on a bicycle Treasure Hunt around Intown Atlanta. The less experienced cyclists behaved like pedestrians. They would stand on the sidewalk at the crosswalk and step into the crosswalk to get cars to stop. The more experienced cyclists would act more like a car, waiting at the intersection for an opening and then proceeding once traffic was clear.

If each of us had big thought balloons over our heads that read "Pedestrian Mode" or "Vehicular Mode", we would be more predictable. A motorist approaching 7 cyclists scattered all over the intersection is justifiably confused and probably feels put out that we can't get our act together. It's certainly not as impressive as a group of cyclists that blends in well with the other traffic making use of the street. And, it's not as impressive as a group of pedestrians taking advantage of the crosswalk.

This is another interaction between motorists and cyclists, another opportunity to socialize safe and courteous behavior and to foster goodwill between the two groups, but again, if this isn't the best classroom, then what is?

Commute Summary

Round Trip Distance: 19.5
Number of Cyclists seen: 7 in the AM, 23 in the PM - large proportion of commuters both ways.
In-bound Route: Lullwater/PATH trail with extensions
Out-bound Route: Emory via Clifton
Weather: We're getting back to the sweet weather. Mild and sunny with just a slight breeze.

Wrong Way MUPpies

I take the Freedom Park Multi-Use Path (MUP) most afternoons on my way home from work. Although it isn't crowded, there are a good number of cyclists, runners, and dog walkers taking advantage of this amenity.

After the start of the new year, I noticed a sharp increase in the number of pedestrians who were in the left lane instead of right lane. On the street this would be appropriate, but this is a MUP with a centerline and all traffic moves on the right hand side.

Yesterday morning, I think I learned what is going on.

From wrongWaySignage

When the MUP was first built, it had signage indicating that pedestrians used one side of the path and cyclists used the other side. This had been blacked out, but the black paint has been peeling and fading and the white is starting to show through. The markings here have recently been spray-painted white.

The "regulars" that I see on the trail still walk on the right side of the path. I'm guessing that many of our neighbors have listed "Get More Exercise" as their New Year's resolution, are new to the trail and have noticed the old markings.